FINALIST for the “Best Cooking or Food Blog” of the 2010 Black Weblog Awards

{Top row, images displayed from left to right} The 2010 Black Weblog Awards’ Finalist logo; Ingredients for a Herbal Yogurt Sauce made with tarragon, chives and a shallot. {Second/Middle Row, images displayed from left to right} Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Salad displayed with a Boiled Egg Salad; Blueberry Pecan Cake; Frittata with Baby Spinach, Sweet Potatoes, Young Fontina Cheese, Red Onions and Fresh Rosemary. {Third/Last row, images displayed from left to right} Banana Pudding; Pineapple Tomato Salad; and Strawberry Mint Smoothie.

It’s been less than a year since My Life Runs on Food started. In the beginning, it was a short-term project to learn about blogging applications for a beauty website. Being a Food Blogger, has introduced, or “woke up,” a new creative skill: writing. In addition, my knowledge of HTML, photography, food and Content Management Systems (CMS) continues to expand. Having a strong foundation in graphic design has made learning about blogging an easy endeavor.

Friends on Facebook were initially encouraging; for they would engage in updates about meals I cooked. They asked how-to questions and requested recipes. Then, someone recommended writing a blog. Last fall, I took a break from an entrepreneurial business. To make extra use of the time, I started using WordPress.com, because the website for the business was going to be based on that application. Once registered, I started writing posts to learn about the features. Naturally, the first few sentences were about food.

On the About Me page, it describes my passion for food. Since starting a food blog, it has become easier to think of a career in a food-related industry. Previously, cooking was a separate creative endeavor from design. In graphic design, many people share and shape concepts, but many projects have become impersonal. Being a creative thinker, food and cooking has become my personal project. It fills a void of personal expression without external opinions. It also influences the creativity in my design work.

Since starting My Life Runs On Food, it has become a successful activity of expanding my love of cooking. Social networking is an amazing tool to reach new audiences, learn cooking techniques, teach people about healthy (and sweet) recipes and discover ingredients. There are many beautiful food blogs posting ideas every second of the day. To be nominated among thousands of sites as a finalist for the “Best Cooking and Food Blog” category of The 2010 Black Weblog Awards, is a great honor. It is a relief to know I am not the only person of color blogging about food, for the other nominees’ in the same catergory have delicious recipe ideas as well.

In addition, each category represents the most entertaining and insightful bloggers online. In these transient times, it seems bloggers have made use of a new media that is still in its infancy. I’m a trained designer by day. There are other bloggers with day jobs, and they’re finding great success in writing about their outside interest. Of course, there are bloggers who are forever writers by heart, for they’ve read and studied all the classic writers since they were young. They’re the lucky ones with an early start of knowing how to engage readers.

My first year anniversary as a Food Blogger will be in October. Like a designer, I’m sketching new ideas for the upcoming year. As online media expands, My Life Runs On Food will evolve with it.

Thank you to all my fans that have followed this site since launching last fall. Welcome to all my new supporters. Find me on Twitter @SanuraJamila; Facebook/MyLifeRunsOnFood; LinkedIn; Flickr; and continue visiting www.MyLifeRunsOnFood.com for sweet, savory, buttery, green and healthy recipe ideas. In regards to being a finalist for “The Best Cooking and Food Blog,” vote for the best at The 2010 Black Weblog Awards finalist form page. Voting ends August 31, 2010 at mid-night EST.